A Regrettable Residency at Arriva 433 11th Ave SE My wife and I embarked on our residency journey at Arriva managed by First service, with optimism, swayed by its promise of a comfortable urban living space. Regrettably, our expectations were soon marred by a series of inconveniences and dismissals that, I feel, warrant a candid account for prospective residents and realtor clients. Our first notable challenge was the repeated requests not to use the toilets for extended periods during the night owing to maintenance issues. The suggested alternative--an external facility--proved nonexistent on two occasions. One can only imagine the distress and discomfort caused by such an essential utility's unavailability in one's dwelling. We encountered a significant heating system failure shortly after settling in during the merciless Canadian winter. It was seven months before the required parts arrived, and even then, a lack of communication persisted as to when full functionality would be restored. For many, a home's warmth is a taken-for-granted comfort; it has become a daily uncertainty for us. The overarching concern, however, was the response--or lack thereof--from our realtor, Ryan Kearns, and the property management. The apathy displayed towards our repeated appeals for resolution was disheartening. When assertiveness was exercised, it was met with allegations of aggression--a narrative all too familiar and discomfortingly evocative of racial stereotyping. The cultural dynamics of my Black heritage and my wife's Ukrainian identity appeared to shade our interactions with an unwelcome bias that no tenant should ever feel. It is with a heavy heart that I recount these experiences. The essence of a home extends beyond its physical confines--it is the reliability, service, and respect offered by those entrusted with its provision. On this accord, I find myself compelled to dissuade others from engaging with Ryan Kearns as a realtor or entering into a tenancy with Arriva. The veneer of professionalism and hospitality should not be mistaken for its substance, which, in our case, was sorely lacking. A home is one's sanctuary, and how we were disregarded has left a lasting impression. I share one in the hopes of spurring change and reminding all within the real estate and property management professions that accountability and respect should be paramount, irrespective of one's background. read more

I can see why First Service only has 2.8 Stars. I can say if you are a small condo building DO NOT sign with First Service. Smaller units seem to be peanuts to them and are put on the back burner. We were with First Service for a few years and recently realized they dropped the ball on our budgeting and financials causing us to be in a bad spot. This direction they provided us of bad financial planning and budgeting has cause a severe impact in our condo. Over the years we were thrown around from different REPs and each time they knew nothing about our condo nor did they seem to want to know...not only that we had a few REPS who treated us like we were not smart enough to even be on the board. Instead of helping to guide us they ignored us. We had decided to look elsewhere for a property management company, but they advised they would do better and asked us to stay... We should of listened to our gut and switched at that time. Unfortunately, we gave them another shot only to have even more problems, specifically with Andrew MacLachlan. I can say in my many professional years, I have never come across someone so unprofessional, ill-mannered, and adverse. I am unsure how this kind of management style has got him this far. I strongly urge you to find ANY other property management company besides First Service. read more

Where can I start? This is the most negligent and terrible company that you could possibly choose to manage anything. The high level of incompetency and care is beyond words. STAY AWAY, or you will regret it. There is a reason that there are so many negative reviews. Dealing with Cynthia has been the WORST and most negative experience of my life. Cynthia MacFarlane is a liar, complete and utter bully, has 0 respect for anyone, including herself and tries to make herself feel better by putting down others. The worst part is that when First Service Residential management was notified about this, no one got back to me and they are covering up for her. I guess they are scared to do anything, since she has been there for more than 10 years. Cynthia went as far as to manipulate, deceive and vindictively impose false fines, make up bylaws that don't exist, and try to justify that she is "saving money" at the cost of the well being of the unit owners! It is one thing to save money, but another to go to the extent of illegal action. She thinks that everyone that she is dealing with is an illiterate idiot, and that is why she will treat you like one. They don't even deserve a 1 star rating, I guess they are waiting until the law suits start piling on. The truth will come out guys. read more

**1-star review** Extremely disappointing communication experience with FirstService Residential Alberta. Resident inquiries are consistently redirected into a generic support portal, with no clear timelines for response, no visibility into escalation paths, and no meaningful follow-up once a ticket is submitted. Responses from staff are templated and do not address specific questions regarding expected resolution timelines or Board escalation procedures. Instead, residents are repeatedly instructed to resubmit or wait indefinitely. Given the high monthly condo fees, the lack of transparent service standards and resident-facing accountability is concerning. Communication feels designed to minimize engagement rather than resolve issues efficiently. At minimum, residents should be provided with: * clear response time expectations, * transparent escalation pathways, * and accessible Board contact procedures. Currently, none of these are clearly available in practice. read more

We have rented from First Service Residential for the last 5 -6 years (between two separate apartments in Calgary). The experience overall wasn't always bad, the buildings are nice enough, but we found the management to be poor with both. Things would be falling apart or broken often, and would go a long time without repair. We had countless issues that we reported and often times were left in the lurch for a long time before anyone handled it. The security was also bad - our car was broken into 3 times in the Inglewood parkade. The attitude of the property management company was generally not very customer centric. We are great tenants and always took great care of the units but felt that our respect and decency wasn't reciprocated the same way. I would just steer clear of this company if you are renting - you can find better if you go direct with a landlord instead. Perhaps they'll get better but I think calling themselves "First Service" is a bit of a stretch. read more

useless is the term i would use for firstservice. dirty carpet, holes in drywall, stains on the walls, leaky pipes & of course more than half a year later nothing is fixed. cockroaches live in better conditions than what cynthia's "management" has turned our building into. reviews below me are correct cynthia macfarlane has a big mouth on her that she should learn to control. she talks for the sake of talking and lies through her teeth. my family and i are moving out to escape her consistent terrorism. when you try to tell her your concerns she will ignore you & later bully you into living in uninhabitable conditions. if you see firstservice run as fast & as far as you can. you see how many victims there are thanks to cynthia's vile and disgusting treatment of human beings? yeah still the big guys at the top of firstservice don't do anything. this company is the biggest joke in alberta. read more

I'm actually signing up for Yelp today just to be able to post a review and save you from dealing with Cynthia MacFarlane of Condominium First. She refuses to communicate with me by any means other than email, and then turns around and accuses me of thinking I live on "some sort of resort" when I questioned her over the fact that she does not respond to my emails. Then when I asked to meet with her in person and communicate face to face, she both refused and then subsequently ignored my requests. Cynthia MacFarlane is by far the most unprofessional Community Manager I have ever had the displeasure of dealing with. Save yourself, and avoid anything to do with Condominium First as long as she is in their employ. read more

After several experiences with FirstService Residential community managers, I have had a particularly good experience with JP Bachand, a professional, kind, and hard worker in his field. JP's communication is impeccable throughout both Nuera and Alura buildings located at 1320 1st Street SE & 211 13th Ave SE Calgary, AB T2G 1E1. He builds relationships with the concierge and the occupants in the building regardless of tenants or owners. I have had to deal with a few other FSR property managers that I would not recommend from this company but JP is a shining light on FSR. Thank you FSR for blessing us with JP's presence. read more

RIDICULOUS - they have some witch named Cynthia working there - she accuses people of things before a proper investigation - just sends out threats with no thought of evidence - why is this woman working there. She has SO MANY complaints - she yells at people - people WHO PAY HER!!!! duh! this is a no brainer - get rid of her and perhaps you might have a better reputation - or here is a thought....get her some people skills and how to give proper customer service. And also - get the correct information before accusing people of things that they didn't do. read more

I'm a realtor. I sold an apartment and needed some updated condo documents - but was on my way to Mexico, where I promptly dropped my cellphone into the ocean. Using a borrowed phone, I called First Service and in spite of the fact that I couldn't do anything they wanted me to do, they looked after my needs. Secondly, some maintenance was needed on the condo. One call and they had it fixed the very next day. I was really delighted with their service! read more

This organization is a joke! They think they're running a kingdom, looking down upon it's townspeople. I have never dealt with such an unprofessional organization in my life. The staff turnover is ridiculous, sometimes I wonder if they're running a staffing agency or maybe only hire angry women from a halfway house. I fail to see how so many condo boards choose such poorly run company. I would give this place less than 1 star if it were possible. read more

Since moving into a FirstService Residential building in Calgary, I've received A+ service from the the management team and their staff. There have been problems with the older building as one would expect and, as I bring them up, they repair them straight away. I don't have to worry about ongoing issues not getting resolved. Jemma, Nick and others are making living here an experience that I would recommend to a friend. read more

My experience with Kim from FirstService has been wonderful. Her response times to concerns and emails has been exceptional. There has been a few hiccups with my building as it has just recently been taken over by this company, however I feel that Kim has provided knowledgeable and prompt service. She has been supporting us where we needed with some advocacy and the many changes happening with the building. read more

Salma and Doug do a great job. Salma is very helpful, knows her job well , and gets things done in a timely manner. Very personable and professional. Doug is very knowledgeable and friendly. He gets things done, and commits to timeliness and keeping you updated. Nice place to live. Very safe, well kept, Friendly and efficiently managed. Recommending to friends and family. read more

I have had great response and service from Charlyn and Paula. All of my problems big and small were handled in a timely and professional matter. They replied immediately and arranged for the problem to be fixed right away. They arranged for the contractors and the work that was done was perfect. This is due to the people now managing the property. read more

Recently I have been dealing with a difficult condo situation. Lisa, the Community Manager for the condo complex, has been amazing. She has been extremely response to both my emails and telephone calls. She has gone the extra mile to provide me with the information and help that I needed. Lisa, keep up the good work. You are a rock star!!! read more

The worst corrupt company in calgary. History of fraud, they failed to check for CO in a building and fix the mistake leading to a death of a 14 year old. Corruption is from the top down here in Alberta, do not be fooled by their fake positive reviews. Stir away from this rental company and save yourself the headache of dealing with criminals. read more

Horrible Property Management company. This company really wants to get paid to do nothing. The properties they "manage" quickly go downhill & turn into slums. If I could give zero stars I would. They do not address concerns at all - just send generic replies that do not even address your issues. Just horrible. read more

I would like to thank the administration staff, they were friendly and helpful guiding me in what documents needed for the sale of our Condo. As well as the property management of the Trading Post in Cochrane, we were thankful to have had their services while we lived there for the last 3 years! Thank you read more